


Breaking the Cycle

by bironic



Series: Sestinas by bironic [3]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Angst, Infidelity, Multi, Poetry, Sestina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-13
Updated: 2006-11-13
Packaged: 2017-10-06 09:20:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bironic/pseuds/bironic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Midnight, and James lies awake beside his softly snoring wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking the Cycle

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: whispers (from daasgrrl), pound (from thewlisian_afer), part, wife, friend, lies.
> 
> With thanks to synn for looking over draft after draft and saying each was fine, even if I didn't believe her.

Midnight, and James lies  
Awake beside his softly snoring wife,  
Staring at the crooked part  
In her hair and listening to the whispers  
Of leaves in the wind like secrets between friends.  
This close, he can see the pulse pound

In Julie's throat. He winces as his head pounds  
In counterpoint. After two divorces, it's happening again: the lies,  
The roaming eyes, the sneaking off to see his friend  
To alleviate boredom and avoid his wife.  
He knows, he knows he shouldn't. His conscience whispers  
Admonishments for him to shape up and play his part

In this marriage. Yet he yearns for more than to merely play a part.  
An ounce of prevention might be worth a pound  
Of alimony, but he's restless. Doesn't know what he wants. The sheets whisper  
As he turns and sighs at the ceiling. He's crap at lies.  
He knows what he wants. What he _has_, however, is a wife  
Who hates him and an irascible friend

He's been dancing around for too many years. A friend  
Who's killing himself by measures, one part denial to two parts  
Recklessness. A friend who requires delicate treatment, like a wife,  
Though sometimes it's all James can do not to grab the bastard and pound  
Some sense into him. A friend who forces him to play games of lies  
And manipulations, forces him to shout when he'd rather whisper,

Because House won't listen to anything as quiet as whispers,  
Pretending he can't hear it over his pain. A self-styled detective of a friend  
Who doesn't see what's in front of him, or refuses to.  
                                                                        James has had enough of lies.  
Time tonight to stop waiting, stop playing, stop evading, do his part  
And try for what he wants. He eases out of bed. His heart pounds.  
He dresses in the dark and closes the door on his still-sleeping wife.

"Shouldn't you be in bed with your wife?"  
House greets in a conspiratorial whisper.  
James can't speak, his chest crushed beneath pounds  
Of pressure. Closing his eyes, he leans into his friend  
And shows him exactly why he isn't. When their mouths part,  
He forces himself to meet House's gaze. He relaxes. Eyes don't lie.

"Your wife probably won't be surprised," his friend-  
Turned-lover whispers between gasps twenty minutes later. James nods, every part  
Of his body tingling as House pounds into him. He sighs. No more need for lies.

**Author's Note:**

> Remixed by zulu: http://archiveofourown.org/works/991


End file.
